A (somewhat unimaginative)
wikipedia
article once used to rank the rivalry between Sweden and Denmark
as Nordic Derby 4, thus ranking it behind those involving
Norway and Sweden
(there listed as Nordic Derby 1),
Sweden and Finland
(there considered Nordic Derby 2), and
Denmark and Norway
(there numbered Nordic Derby 3), but in footballing
terms this is the only serious one, with both contestants fairly evenly
matched after more than a century of matches.
(In contrast, Sweden's rivalry with Finland is played out in (ice) hockey and that
with Norway in various (winter) sports, in particular cross country ("nordic") skiing.)
In spite of both countries claiming a viking heritage and converting to lutheranism
early on, Denmark and Sweden fought each other in various wars for centuries, in particular
over Norway and Scania (Skåne in both Danish and Swedish), now the southern part of
Sweden but Danish until the middle of the seventeenth century, creating a firm basis for
some lasting ill-feeling.
Both countries took to football early (in the 1870s), initially restricted to the cities of Copenhagen and Gothenburg. The Danes were the first to make an impression, winning silver medals at the 1908 and 1912 Olympics (losing both finals to Great Britain), and they also won the first five meetings with their neighbours, outscoring them 24-0 in the process. However, the Swedes quickly caught up, winning the bronze medals at the 1924 Olympics after thrashing title holders Belgium 8-1 and defeating the Netherlands, three times bronze medalists, in the bronze medal match (after a replay) before impressing at the first two World Cups held in Europe, reaching the quarterfinals in 1934 (defeating Argentina and narrowly losing to Germany) and the semifinals in 1938. Sweden also dominated the Nordic Championship, winning it nine times in succession (after both Denmark and Norway had claimed it once) in a period stretching more than four decades (between 1933 and 1977).
After World War II, Blågult owned De Rød-Hvide for decades, winning 22 (and losing just 3) of the 32 encounters between 1947 and 1975. However, as both countries remained faithful to the amateur ideal for much longer than most others, their best players sought greener pastures abroad (most famously the Gre-No-Li forward line at Milan) and the national sides fell somewhat behind, in spite of Sweden reaching the final at the 1958 World Cup they organised. Nevertheless, both remained dangerous opponents for anyone, and in spite of having been eliminated in the qualifying tournament, the Danes were crowned European champions in 1992 in Sweden, where they lost their group match against the hosts but eliminated the Netherlands (the reigning champions) in the semifinal, after a penalty shoot-out, and surprised Germany (semifinal winners against Sweden) in the final.
All matches are friendlies unless stated otherwise.
Game Date Venue Result Remark
1. 25- 5-1913 København Denmark 8-0 Sweden
2. 5-10-1913 Stockholm Sweden 0-10 Denmark
3. 6- 6-1915 København Denmark 2-0 Sweden
4. 31-10-1915 Stockholm Sweden 0-2 Denmark
5. 4- 6-1916 København Denmark 2-0 Sweden
6. 8-10-1916 Stockholm Sweden 4-0 Denmark
7. 3- 6-1917 København Denmark 1-1 Sweden
8. 14-10-1917 Stockholm Sweden 1-2 Denmark
9. 2- 6-1918 København Denmark 3-0 Sweden
10. 20-10-1918 Göteborg Sweden 1-2 Denmark
11. 5- 6-1919 København Denmark 3-0 Sweden
12. 12-10-1919 Stockholm Sweden 3-0 Denmark
13. 10-10-1920 Stockholm Sweden 0-2 Denmark
14. 9-10-1921 Stockholm Sweden 0-0 Denmark
15. 1-10-1922 København Denmark 1-2 Sweden
16. 14-10-1923 Stockholm Sweden 1-3 Denmark
17. 15- 6-1924 København Denmark 2-3 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
18. 14- 6-1925 Stockholm Sweden 0-2 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
19. 3-10-1926 København Denmark 2-0 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
20. 19- 6-1927 Stockholm Sweden 0-0 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
21. 7-10-1928 København Denmark 3-1 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
22. 16- 6-1929 Göteborg Sweden 3-2 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
23. 22- 6-1930 København Denmark 6-1 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
24. 28- 6-1931 Stockholm Sweden 3-1 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
25. 19- 6-1932 København Denmark 3-1 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
26. 18- 6-1933 Stockholm Sweden 2-3 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
27. 17- 6-1934 København Denmark 3-5 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
28. 16- 6-1935 Göteborg Sweden 3-1 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
29. 14- 6-1936 København Denmark 4-3 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
30. 3-10-1937 Solna Sweden 1-2 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
31. 21- 6-1938 København Denmark 0-1 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
32. 1-10-1939 Solna Sweden 4-1 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
33. 6-10-1940 Solna Sweden 1-1 Denmark
34. 20-10-1940 København Denmark 3-3 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
35. 14- 9-1941 Solna Sweden 2-2 Denmark
36. 19-10-1941 København Denmark 2-1 Sweden
37. 28- 6-1942 København Denmark 0-3 Sweden
38. 4-10-1942 Solna Sweden 2-1 Denmark
39. 20- 6-1943 København Denmark 3-2 Sweden
40. 24- 6-1945 Solna Sweden 2-1 Denmark
41. 1- 7-1945 København Denmark 3-4 Sweden
42. 30- 9-1945 Solna Sweden 4-1 Denmark
43. 23- 6-1946 København Denmark 3-1 Sweden
44. 6-10-1946 Göteborg Sweden 3-3 Denmark
45. 15- 6-1947 København Denmark 1-4 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
46. 26- 6-1947 Solna Sweden 6-1 Denmark [SPL's 40th Anniversary]
47. 10- 8-1948 London Sweden 4-2 Denmark [Olympic Games]
48. 10-10-1948 Solna Sweden 1-0 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
49. 23-10-1949 København Denmark 3-2 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
50. 15-10-1950 Solna Sweden 4-0 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
51. 21-10-1951 København Denmark 3-1 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
52. 11- 6-1952 Oslo Sweden 2-0 Denmark [NFF's 50th Anniversary]
53. 22- 6-1952 Solna Sweden 4-3 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
54. 21- 6-1953 København Denmark 1-3 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
55. 10-10-1954 Solna Sweden 5-2 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
56. 16-10-1955 København Denmark 3-3 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
57. 21-10-1956 Solna Sweden 1-1 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
58. 30- 6-1957 København Denmark 1-2 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
59. 26-10-1958 Solna Sweden 4-4 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
60. 21- 6-1959 København Denmark 0-6 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
61. 23-10-1960 Göteborg Sweden 2-0 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
62. 18- 6-1961 København Denmark 1-2 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
63. 28-10-1962 Solna Sweden 4-2 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
64. 6-10-1963 København Denmark 2-2 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
65. 28- 6-1964 Malmö Sweden 4-1 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
66. 20- 6-1965 København Denmark 2-1 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
67. 6-11-1966 Solna Sweden 2-1 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
68. 25- 6-1967 København Denmark 1-1 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
69. 27- 6-1968 Solna Sweden 2-1 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
70. 25- 6-1969 København Denmark 0-1 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
71. 25- 6-1970 Göteborg Sweden 1-1 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
72. 20- 6-1971 København Denmark 1-3 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
73. 29- 6-1972 Malmö Sweden 2-0 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
74. 26- 4-1973 København Denmark 1-2 Sweden
75. 3- 6-1974 København Denmark 0-2 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
76. 25- 9-1975 Malmö Sweden 0-0 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
77. 11- 5-1976 Göteborg Sweden 1-2 Denmark
78. 15- 6-1977 København Denmark 2-1 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
79. 5-10-1977 Malmö Sweden 1-0 Denmark
80. 16- 8-1978 København Denmark 2-1 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
81. 9- 5-1979 København Denmark 2-2 Sweden
82. 7- 5-1980 Göteborg Sweden 0-1 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
83. 14- 5-1981 Malmö Sweden 1-2 Denmark [Nordic Championship]
84. 5- 5-1982 København Denmark 1-1 Sweden [Nordic Championship]
85. 6- 6-1984 Göteborg Sweden 0-1 Denmark
86. 11- 9-1985 København Denmark 0-3 Sweden
87. 26- 8-1987 Solna Sweden 1-0 Denmark
88. 31- 8-1988 Solna Sweden 1-2 Denmark
89. 14- 6-1989 København Denmark 6-0 Sweden [DBU Centenary]
90. 5- 9-1990 Västerås Sweden 0-1 Denmark
91. 15- 6-1991 Norrköping Sweden 4-0 Denmark [Scania 100 Tournament]
92. 14- 6-1992 Solna Sweden 1-0 Denmark [European Championship]
93. 26- 5-1994 København Denmark 1-0 Sweden
94. 14- 8-1996 Göteborg Sweden 0-1 Denmark
95. 28- 5-1998 Malmö Sweden 3-0 Denmark
-. 31- 1-2000 La Manga Sweden 1-0 Denmark [!]
96. 26- 4-2000 København Denmark 0-1 Sweden
97. 22- 6-2004 Oporto Sweden 2-2 Denmark [European Championship]
98. 2- 6-2007 København Denmark awd Sweden [*] [European Champ. Qual.]
99. 8- 9-2007 Solna Sweden 0-0 Denmark [European Champ. Qual.]
100. 6- 6-2009 Solna Sweden 0-1 Denmark [World Cup Qualifier]
101. 10-10-2009 København Denmark 1-0 Sweden [World Cup Qualifier]
102. 11-11-2011 København Denmark 2-0 Sweden
103. 28- 5-2014 København Denmark 1-0 Sweden
104. 14-11-2015 Solna Sweden 2-1 Denmark [European Champ. Qual.]
105. 17-11-2015 København Denmark 2-2 Sweden [European Champ. Qual.]
-. 11- 1-2018 Abu Dhabi Sweden 1-0 Denmark [!]
106. 2- 6-2018 Solna Sweden 0-0 Denmark
107. 11-11-2020 Brøndby Denmark 2-0 Sweden
[!] match official for Sweden but not for Denmark (who in both cases fielded their League XI)
and therefore not included in the overviews
[*] match abandoned at 3-3 in 89' due to attack on referee and awarded 0-3
Total record:
Denmark 107 41 20 46 174-186 102
Sweden 107 46 20 41 186-174 112
Some more stats:
Pd Dk D Sw DG- SG
In Denmark: 50 24 8 18 99- 81
In Sweden: 54 17 11 26 71- 97
Elsewhere: 3 0 1 2 4- 8
Pd Dk D Sw DG- SG
1911-1920 13 10 1 2 37- 10
1921-1930 10 5 2 3 21- 11
1931-1940 11 4 2 5 22- 27
1941-1950 16 4 2 10 26- 45
1951-1960 11 1 3 7 18- 33
1961-1970 10 1 3 6 12- 20
1971-1980 11 4 2 5 11- 15
1981-1990 8 5 1 2 13- 7
1991-2000 6 2 0 4 2- 9
2001-2010 5 2 2 1 4- 5
2011-2020 6 3 2 1 8- 4
Denmark - List of International Matches
Sweden - List of International Matches
Prepared and maintained by Karel Stokkermans for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
Author: Karel Stokkermans
Last updated: 17 Oct 2023
(C) Copyright
Karel Stokkermans and RSSSF 2017/23
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper
acknowledgement is given to the author. All rights reserved.